Lesson 5-What caused the Great Famine 1958-62 and why was it so severe? Flashcards
Define sparrowcide in China.
Introduced in 1958 by Mao Zedong, as a hygiene campaign aimed to eradicate the pests responsible for the transmission of pestilence and disease
What is Lysenkoism?
The soviet theories of improved crop yields which earned the support of Joseph Stalin
What is economic incentive?
Cost or benefit that motivates a decision or action by consumers, businesses, or other participants in the economy
What was the Anti-Rightist Campaign?
A reaction against the Hundred Flowers Campaign which had promoted pluralism of expression and criticism of the government, even though initiation of both campaigns was controlled by Mao
What is the ‘Conspiracy of silence’?
The unwillingness or inability of cadres within China to speak out about the scale of the Famine.
Who was Peng Dehuai?
Long March veteran with reputation for straight talking (be frank).
Led PLA during Korean War and had become defence minister in 1954.
In July 1959, where did the party hold a conference?
At the mountain town of Lushan in Jiangxi
When was the Lushan Conference?
Between July 1959 and August 1959
Why was the Lushan Conference called?
To discuss the state of the GLF
Prior to the Lushan Conference, what had Mao announced?
That he was stepping down as Chairman of the PRC whilst still remaining Chairman of the Party.
What had Mao recently announced about the harvest but what was the truth?
It had reached 430 million tonnes, before revising down to 375 million tonnes, whilst in reality the figure was closer to 200 million tonnes.
Why was Khrushchev linked to the Lushan Conference?
He made a similar speech in Russia at that time making similar points to Peng.
Gave impression he had gone behind Mao’s back
Following on from the Lushan Conference it became clear that the only individual who could criticise Mao was?
Mao himself
Following the Lushan Conference, Peng was replaced as leader of PLA by?
Lin Biao
What did Minister of Defence, Peng Dehuai voice doubts about at the Lushan Conference?
The reports of a record grain harvest of 375 million tons.
The Great Famine is widely acknowledged to be the worst famine of the 20th century.
True or false?
True
Between what years was the Great Famine?
1958-62
What percentage of Tibet’s population died due to the famine?
25%
What were accepted figures of deaths due to the Great Famine?
30-50 million
Summarise 6 key reasons which caused severity of Great Famine.
- Mao too ambitious
- Mao dismissed/purged many experts
- Mao believed his ideological aims more important than live of his people
- Peasants lacked skills
- Adverse weather
- Lack of incentive for peasants
Why was there a lack of incentive for peasants to work in communes?
Removal of private property
Removal of work points
What adverse weather caused the severity of the famine?
Severe drought followed by torrential downpour
What skills did peasants not have which caused severity of famine?
Did not have skills to move from being subsistence (producing for oneself to survive) farmers to producing mass surpluses.
What did China not have in order to transport the masses of food that had been created?
The infrastructure, transport or communication systems
What shows that Mao believed his ideological aims were more important than the lives of his people?
In 1957 he declared that the death of half the Chinese population in a nuclear war would be a sacrifice worth paying for victory.
During what campaign had Mao dismissed/purged many experts?
Anti-rightist campaign (following on from Hundred Flowers Campaign)
What did the anti-rightist campaign create in China which contributed to the severity of the famine?
Created a climate of fear or conspiracy of silence which prevented any cadres and remaining intellectuals in speaking out.
Led to over ambitious and inflated production figures.
How did Mao being too ambitious contribute to the severity of the Great Famine?
Tried to launch commune system and 2nd FYP at same time.
Was mobilising peasants into too many endeavours-could not produce food, supervise backyard furnaces and work on water conservancy projects miles from their village.
At the Lushan Conference, what were individuals discouraged from producing?
Food beyond his or her own immediate needs
What has Chinese agronomist made a series of discoveries about which was said at the Lushan Conference?
Crop growing that would revolutionise food production
Mao announced at the party that he was standing down as State Chairman/Chairman of the PRC but remained Chairman of the CCP/Party. Who did he give the Chairman of PRC role to?
Liu Shaoqi
Which individual openly challenged the GLF?
Peng Dehuai
What did Mao do to Peng’s letter?
Published it and challenged delegates to either line up with himself or Peng
What gave Mao the confidence to push forward with the GLF?
Failure of others to support Peng
Who replaced Peng as leader of the PLA?
Lin Biao
Who drank themselves into stupor (oblivion) due to their shame for not supporting Peng Dehuai?
Zhou Enlai
From what year did the reduction in food production begin?
1958
Nearly every province was affected by the famine. What area of China was most greatly affected by the famine?
Central China
How many people died of the Great Famine in Shandong?
7.5 million
How many people died of the Great Famine in Anhui?
8 million
How many people died of the Great Famine in Henan?
7.8 million
How many people died of the Great Famine in Sichuan?
9 million
How many people died of the Great Famine in Qinghai?
1 million
How many people died of the Great Famine in Tibet?
1 million
What kinds of things did people do in order to try and survive the famine?
Parents sold their children
Husbands sold their wives
Women prostituted themselves to obtain food for their families
Offered themselves as slaves
As suffering in Central China continued, what did the government continue to do?
Requisition (seize/demand) grain
What percentage of crops did the state take in 1957?
17%
What percentage of crops did the state take in 1958?
21%
What percentage of crops did the state take in 1959?
28%
What percentage of crops did the state take in 1960?
21%
Summarise a conspiracy of silence.
Government advisers unaware of facts
Knew people dying by the million-dare not speak out
Reports claimed targets being met and GLF was success
Peasants known to remove crops and place along train tracks that Mao would pass
What region of China suffered the most as a result of the Great Famine?
Tibet
How many of Tibet’s 4 million people were wiped out?
1/4
It was said the death toll in Tibet was…?
Intended and man-made
What year was there a re-emergence of Tibetan resistance against the PLA?
1959
What was the Tibetan resistance to lead, in 1959, against the Chinese occupation?
A national uprising
What did Chinese occupiers demand about the farming techniques created by Chairman Mao?
That they be adopted in Tibet
What food was a part of a stable Tibetan diet?
Barley
Tibetans were forbidden to grow what?
Barley
Instead of barley , what were Tibetans instructed to sow?
Wheat and maize
What was the negative about asking the Tibetans to sow wheat and maize instead of barley?
Neither crop was suitable to soil or climate-led to destruction
What happened as a result of the Tibetans not being allowed to use yak herds?
Led to the emaciation (starvation) of the animals, then the starvation of the people.
Why was Mao forced to acknowledge the famine unlike the disasters of the GLF?
The death toll was so devestating
Mao acknowledged the Great Famine but refused to admit that it was as a result of what?
His policies of collectivisation and applied Socialist Science
Instead of placing the blame of the Great Famine on himself, what 3 factors did Mao place it on?
- Hoarding of grain by peasants
- Mistakes of local officials
- Exceptionally bad weather of the years 1958 – 61
How much truth was there in the 3 factors Mao placed the blame of the Great Famine on?
No truth in the first, some in the second, little in the third
What was not effective enough to be able to transport food?
Transport and communication systems
Mao was naive in accepting Lysenko’s theories.
True or false?
True
What did cadres and remaining intellectuals being scared to speak out lead to?
Over ambitious and inflated production figures
What happened to anyone who was brave enough to speak out about production levels?
Likely to be sent to the Laogai
How was Mao mobilising peasants into too many endeavours?
Peasants could not be producing food, supervising backyard furnaces and working on water conservancy projects miles from their village.
